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(GF) Prologue
“You, girl!” he hails me from the roof of one of Likera’s largest storage warehouses, then jumps down to the ground almost effortlessly. I recognise the technique he uses to reach the ground unharmed - I used to do the same thing while I was sneaking around my old academy playing pranks on the masters and teachers. In a way, he reminds me a little of myself from four years ago; show-offy in a way that is both impressive and aggravating at the same time. “Who are you?” I ask once he is standing in front of me. His response confirms my worst fears. “Karrus. Darth Karrus.” he says, extending a gloved hand. “And you are?” I swallow hard and gingerly shake his hand. “Liucheen Zaron,” I breathe, my voice barely a whisper, “You’re a Sith, right?” It’s been a while since I went by my birth name, Liucheen, and it sickens me to hear my own voice saying it. I left that name far behind a long time ago, and digging it back out of its grave is uncomfortable at best. However, I cannot show who I really am - at least not until Darth Karrus reveals his true intentions. When Karrus nods in reply to my question, I allow a scoff to exit my mouth. “Aren’t you a little young to be calling yourself Darth?” I chuckle, and my mind screams Hypocrite! at me. “I’m almost 15,” he says crossly, drawing himself up straighter and rubbing a hand through his medium brown military-style hair. “Besides,” he continues, standing straighter still, “they told me I would find the spice trade overseer here. Since there is no-one else here, I would assume that you are she. Still, I don’t get that you’re just a kid. What are you, 12?” It is my turn to be extremely cross. “I’m older than you, actually,” I harrumph, flicking my stylish bangs at him, “I’m already 15 years old. But I did, in fact, start running this thing when I was 12. I took over from Tesh, who sort-of… quit suddenly.” Karrus raises an eyebrow suspiciously. “What is that supposed to mean?” I tap my foot and look down at the ground, doing anything to stall before I have to reply to that. “Well?” “Well…” I still don’t want to answer, but the way he’s pressing me, it probably won’t be long before he cuts me in half in his impatience. “Tesh was shot and killed while trying to deliver a cargo of engspice to a client on Alderaan.” “Stang!” Karrus swears loudly, “Your job is that dangerous?” His tone makes it clear that he thinks I am either extremely brave or extremely stupid. To tell the truth, I’m probably both. “Yes,” I say coldly, “perhaps you’d like to take over from me, hm?” He shakes his head vehemently, which makes me laugh. “What brings a Sith all the way out to Kradatia, anyway?” I ask. Again, my mind shrieks at me, this time saying You’re Sith, and you have a reason to be on Kradatia! “Shut up.” I mutter under my breath, but Karrus hears me. “I didn’t say anything!” he protests, and I shake my head. “Not you,” I tell him, “just fighting my inner demons.” This makes him laugh, and suddenly, it’s like we’re best friends. We sit and chat for a while, but I still try to keep my mental guard up the whole time, just in case. I don’t mention anything to do with Korriban; anything that might tip him off that I’m Sith too. Still, he starts getting restless, as if my Force-presence is itching at his subconscious. “Liucheen,” he says, suddenly all serious. “can I trust you?” “Do the Sith work with the Dark Side?” I reply, “Of course you can trust me! I’m a spice trader. I can keep a secret.” Karrus visibly relaxes. “Good,” he sighs, “I’m actually a runaway. I left the Sith academy one whole year ago. I’m scared what they’ll do to me if they find me…” “I understand,” I cut in, “I know what it feels like to be on the run. Believe me - I’m on the run almost every day.” I put my hand on his shoulder and he shrugs me off. “You’re wrong,” he says, “you don’t really get it. You won’t get tortured to death if you’re caught - that’s what happened to the girl in our cautionary tale against running away. Her name was Feral, and she lived up to it. She went feral - ran from the academy, I mean - but she was caught. They say her own master used Force lightning on her until she died. You don’t have that weight on your shoulders. I do.” The name he mentions makes me start violently. My throat feels like it’s closing over, and when I next speak, my voice is husky. “Feral?” I rasp, shuffling back a couple inches. “Are you sure that’s the name?” “Deadly serious,” he replies, pressing his lips together in a tight line, “They drill it into us as soon as we arrive: ‘don’t run away or you’ll end up like Feral’.” Then something seems to occur to him. “Does the name Feral mean anything to you?” I take a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. “The only thing I’m going to tell you in regard to that,” I say smoothly, “is that you shouldn’t believe everything they say. In fact, don’t believe anything they say. The Sith at the academy are liars.” Fatal mistake. I realise it as soon as the words leave my mouth, but it’s too late to go back, and now I can feel the suspicion radiating off of him in waves. “How could you know something like that?” he enquires, his hand reaching slowly for his hip, where I can now see his lightsaber in plain sight. “Who are you really?” I probe his mind gently, but he’s put up a mental wall between us. I decide to tell him the truth. “I’m a runaway too,” I whisper in a low voice, as if someone else might hear me if I spoke louder, “and I know they lied about Feral’s death because I am Feral. Darth Feral now, since I’ve left my life as an apprentice far behind me.” ' ' I am Darth Feral. Rebel Sith turned spice trader. Welcome to my galaxy.